The Freebie

2010 "A one night experiment in infidelity"
5.1| 1h18m| R| en| More Info
Released: 17 September 2010 Released
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Annie and Darren have been married for seven years, and they love each other as much as the day they were wed; they're affectionate, have fun together, and enjoy games such as crossword puzzle races. They would seem to have a perfect relationship, except for one thing -- they haven't had sex in ages, and seem to have lost all interest in making love with one another, no matter how they try to put each other in the mood. Hoping to put some adventure back into their lives, Annie and Darren come up with an unusual idea -- they each get one night in which they're free to find someone and have sex with them, scot-free. But is this going to help their relationship, or is it just going to turn a small problem into a big problem?

Genre

Drama, Comedy

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The Freebie (2010) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Director

Katie Aselton

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The Freebie Audience Reviews

Diagonaldi Very well executed
Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
bjarias Yea.. has a few spoiler details..so maybe wanna read it after. The review numbers do not accurately reflect how good this film is.. for this is one of the best movies I've seen so far this year. At first I thought his persona and character did not work for me at all, but then I realized that might be exactly what she had been going for (hair constantly and annoyingly falling into the face and all). Too many films are labeled as 'master-works'.. probably wouldn't go that far in this instance, but for such a young talent she has created something very interesting, and it is exceptionally well done, and totally memorable.. with acting most assuredly award worthy. You will definitely watch it more than once.. and without doubt it goes into the 'movie library.' Her character goes out as planned, and does exactly what they agreed to do.. to seek out and engage in an unemotional one night sexual encounter. While his plots and schemes, and winds up having a quickie 'affair' (sex or not.. we're really not quite sure what happens with him that night). Then he most aggressively drags the guilty admission out of her (although it was something they both had agreed they were not going to talk about), and then with relish he proceeds to thoroughly crush her, with mean-spirited name calling and profanity. He proves how broken their relationship is with his hurtful tirade. Yea, it was a terrible idea from the get go (unless you just want to blow it up), but what he does, and how he reacts, proves totally who's the real 'loser' in this pairing... she stays with him she deserves what she gets. I cannot wait to see more of this girl's work... bravo Katie!!
Jamie Bonner I have seen this movie twice and liked it both times. It is a subtle movie that feels so real as we all probably have been confronted with these feelings in a long term relationship. It is a succinct little slice of reality...so much so that it really makes you think and perhaps feel a bit uneasy as you transport yourself into their reality. The acting was fantastic and very real. I was impressed by both lead actors. I only wish it lasted longer. I would classify this as a romantic drama, not a comedy. Glad to see Dad Shepard in a dramatic role. I think he shines in this arena. I would like to see more of him as his acting style is natural, which is nice to watch. Nonetheless, I think it is a must see, especially for couples.
denmn Sometimes, or is it all the time, it seems like the people in charge of selling a movie are working directly in opposition to the original intents and artistic dreams of the actual creative people who make movies. I know that it's the job of distributors to get people to watch a movie they're putting out, I guess by any means necessary. But if they create an ad campaign, a movie poster, or DVD box art which is deliberately misleading as to the actual content of the movie, isn't that just going to either tick or turn people off? Seriously, if you create a sexy, silly cover for an ambitious, serious film, either you're going to a.)disappoint the people attracted to such a cover when they don't get what they were looking for or b.)keep people who would actually like such a film from ever renting it, or c.) both. For example, this film. I didn't watch it, and had no real interest in watching it, essentially based on the cover art and title. (I mean, sure, I was not exactly jazzed to check out the newest Dax Shepard vehicle either, but more on that later...) The title, the tagline, and the cutesy cover with stars Shepard and Katie Aselton all wrapped up in a blanket and giving us a comically-cute 'oops!' look makes it look like a lowbrow, cheesy romantic comedy, and the premise (unhappy couple decides to give each other the titular 'freebie' one-night stand with someone else apiece) is the stuff of lousy guy comedies (see last year's Hall Pass, etc.) But, since I had an undeniably-too-cool-not-to-tell reason to actually watch the thing (I got to interview star/director/writer Aselton) and I have to say The Freebie is really, really good. In addition to starring in this (and the very funny series 'The League'), Aselton is married to indie filmmaker (and co-father of the so-called 'mumblecore' movement) Mark Duplass, and in this, her directorial debut, she shows a real affinity for that genre's improvisational, conversational and emotionally-raw style, and creates a smart, legitimately moving examination of one couple's misguided attempt to sort out their relationship. Shepard and Aselton play Darren and Annie, a genuinely-happy, compulsively-honest couple who admit, one night, that their sex life has become routine. And so the 'one-night stand' plan. What's truly impressive is how organically the premise gets introduced; the two actors so ably create a very specifically-believable couple that you go along with their reasoning, even though you are pretty sure they're making a terrible mistake. That's a credit to the two actors, in more ways than one. I noticed that there are no writing credits listed for The Freebie on IMDb, and none in the movie itself, and Aselton confirmed to me on the phone (that's the last time I name drop, I promise), that, while she wrote her film's outline, the entire thing was improvised. And, while Aselton's background in the mumblecore genre, and the improv-heavy 'The League' reveals that she's got the chops for such an undertaking (and she is heartbreaking, winning, and lovely), the real revelation is Shepard. You might recognize him from comedies of such variable quality as Let's Go to Prison, Idiocracy, Without a Paddle, and Baby Mama, but absolutely nothing in his previous work suggested he could pull something like this off. As the two go through their painful journey into sexual adventurousness and, maybe, back again, the two actors make us care, and empathize, every step of the way, with Aselton's sure hand behind the camera providing sensitive, sure guidance. I popped this DVD in, honestly, out of a sense of obligation and, largely thanks to how it was marketed, absolutely no expectations whatsoever. I finished it with a continued respect for Aselton, a newfound one for Shepard, and a reaffirmed belief that movie marketing is headed up, by and large, by a team of trained chimps with cocaine habits. Ignore the cover, watch the movie.
napierslogs "The Freebie" is about a couple who decide to give each other one free night off from their marriage. It sounds like the upcoming Owen Wilson comedy "Hall Pass"(2011), except in this case it's not a comedy. At least I don't think it's a comedy. It has been marketed as one but I don't think it was the filmmaker's intention.Instead of cheap laughs, we get a very personal, introspective look into one couple's relationship. Dax Shepard and director Katie Aselton play Darren and Annie who claim that they have the best relationship—with open communication and complete honesty. The film doesn't just tell us they are open and honest but we see it, and experience it, for ourselves. They are more open and honest than I imagine most real life couples ever could be.The question of, "is there such thing as too honest?" comes up when Darren expresses to Annie that he sometimes has a desire to sleep with somebody else. Since they are so confident with what they have, they foresee no problems with each other having a freebie. The film actually finds a way to explore this set-up in a fairly interesting way. I was very curious with the fate of their relationship and I wanted to see how it would get there.I was a bit concerned that there was no comedy, and there was nothing else to the story, but I think they came up with a new way to tell the same old story—a story about sex, but without resorting to showing us sexy stars in naked poses. Instead, we just got a very naked, raw examination of a relationship. "The Freebie" is definitely worth a look if that sounds interesting to you.